Panasonic S1 vs Pentax K100D S

Lets take a closer look at the Panasonic S1 and Pentax K100D S, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a significant gap among the image resolutions of the S1 (12MP) and K100D S (6MP) and the S1 (1/2.3") and K100D S (APS-C) posses different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The S1 was unveiled 3 years later than the K100D S and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic S1 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K100D S being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving straight to a thorough comparison, here is a concise summary of how the S1 scores vs the K100D S in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-S1 and Pentax K100D Super. The full galleries are available at Panasonic S1 Gallery and Pentax K100D S Gallery.

When you are planning to carry your camera often, you will have to take into account its weight and volume. The Panasonic S1 features physical dimensions of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") along with a weight of 117 grams (0.26 lbs) and the Pentax K100D S has sizing of 129mm x 91mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs).

Check the Panasonic S1 and Pentax K100D S in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you have at that time. Underneath is a front view sizing comparison of the S1 and the K100D S.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the S1 and K100D S is 96 and 65 respectively.

Typically, it is difficult to picture the difference in sensor sizing simply by viewing technical specs. The graphic below will help provide you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the S1 and K100D S.

As you have seen, the two cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The S1 using its smaller sensor is going to make getting bokeh tougher and the Panasonic S1 will result in greater detail having an extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop photos way more aggressively. The fresher S1 should have an edge with regard to sensor technology.